In measuring- and control-technology, today, a large number of electronic devices are in use. Especially, measuring devices, such as e.g. those measuring pressure, temperature, flow, e.g. flow rate, and/or fill level, are applied for checking, control and/or automating of complex processes. Such electronic devices usually have one or a plurality of electronics arranged in an electronics compartment. Such electronics typically include a plurality of electronic and/or electromechanical components.
In industrial applications, these electronic devices are frequently subjected to very rough environmental conditions. There is, consequently, e.g. the danger, that aggressive media, especially acids or solvents, can penetrate into the electronics compartment and cause wear in the form of damage or even destruction of important electronic and/or electromechanical components. Other possible causes for wear include shocks, vibration, extreme temperatures, or even ionizing radiation.
The electronics are, as a rule, arranged in permanently closed housings and protected by potting compounds, so they are not accessible from outside without special measures. Thus, wear of the electronic and/or electromechanical components, such as can be caused e.g. by penetration of aggressive media into the electronics compartment, can be recognized from outside only when a malfunction or a total failure of the electronics arrives. This presents a large safety risk, which, as a rule, can only be avoided through regular maintenance and/or early replacement of the electronic device.